Check It Out: Only Fate Remains

We haven’t done one of these articles in a while! So, let me introduce you to an up-and-coming band from The Netherlands.

Only Fate Remains (formerly known as Trisomy) is a band I’ve heard about from a number of people – primarily John at Sugar & Spikes Radio, and my Sonic Cathedral colleague Doctor T – before I finally got around to listening to their music. They’re another one of what I’d call the “second wave” of Dutch female-fronted metal bands. In other words, they’re not symphonic or gothic (like Within Temptation, After Forever, Epica, etc.), but more rock oriented like Autumn, Cardamon, or even The Gathering. Now that I think about it, OFR singer Eva Kokken’s voice reminds me a lot of Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering, Agua de Annique) and Floortje Donia (Cardamon). So, what you get with OFR is a strong melodic metal experience with hints of gothic, atmospheric, progressive, and hard rock styles.

What else can I tell you about OFR besides what they sound like? Well, this band has been around for a while! Guitarist Michiel van Veen founded the band back in 1996. (Michiel is also the only remaining original band member.) OFR’s current formation has been together for less than a year; guitarist Jacques Maas joined the band earlier in 2011. This Eindhoven-based sextet has also had the opportunity to open for a number of well-known Dutch femme metal acts (Epica, Autumn, Stream of Passion, and Delain, just to name a few) as well as male-fronted bands such as My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost. Quite a variety of bands they’ve supported, huh?

Just a few weeks ago, OFR released its debut album, Breathe, through the UK-based Ravenheart Music Records. Breathe is a brief but power-packed collection of dark melodic metal. The quality of the album’s production is solid, too. It create a healthy balance between the vocals, the guitars, and other instruments, and lets in little bits of ambiance and keyboards when you least expect it. The two songs I recommend the most are “Lost” and “Shallow Water.” Both are uptempo, guitar-driven tracks with catchy melodies that make the songs quite likeable.

OFR has filmed a music video for one of the songs on Breathe. I haven’t found out which song they chose to film – but as soon as the video is online, we’ll make sure to share it with you!

Only Fate Remains are:

• Eva Kokken – Vocals
• Michiel van Veen – Guitars
• Jacques Maas – Guitars
• Maarten Siem – Keyboards
• Pieter van den Berkmortel – Bass
• Marc Bruijn – Drums

Check out Only Fate Remains at their official website as well as Facebook, Myspace, and ReverbNation. You can purchase Breathe now through Ravenheart Music Records, Sonic Cathedral, iTunes, Amazon, or directly from OFR at their webshop.

~ Sara